The 6 Non-Acting Principles That Will Make Your Acting Stronger

A few summers ago, I was performing in a tiny black box theater on East 4th Street. My friend Sarah and I poured our hearts into this play, rehearsing for weeks for what we thought was a sure hit. On opening night, there were three people in the audience.
Later that evening, the two of us took a heavy stroll. “What’s the point of all of this?!” I bemoaned. “We put everything we had into that show and nobody cares! Why are we doing this?”
It wasn’t until I hit spiritual rock bottom and began pursuing interests outside of acting—like traveling and serving my community—that I realized how incredibly important the work we do as actors is. The problem was my focus as an actor had been so linear that I’d failed to gain any perspective on the bigger picture.
In time, my mission shifted to helping other actors empower themselves using experiences and insights I had gained over nearly 12 years as an actor, writer, community volunteer, and world traveler. I call these lessons, “The 6 Principles,” and I’m sharing them with you today to hopefully help you come to the same realizations and revelations I did (but a lot sooner).
1. Lifelong learningFor years, I read

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The 6 Non-Acting Principles That Will Make Your Acting Stronger

A few summers ago, I was performing in a tiny black box theater on East 4th Street. My friend Sarah and I poured our hearts into this play, rehearsing for weeks for what we thought was a sure hit. On opening night, there were three people in the audience.
Later that evening, the two of us took a heavy stroll. “What’s the point of all of this?!” I bemoaned. “We put everything we had into that show and nobody cares! Why are we doing this?”
It wasn’t until I hit spiritual rock bottom and began pursuing interests outside of acting—like traveling and serving my community—that I realized how incredibly important the work we do as actors is. The problem was my focus as an actor had been so linear that I’d failed to gain any perspective on the bigger picture.
In time, my mission shifted to helping other actors empower themselves using experiences and insights I had gained over nearly 12 years as an actor, writer, community volunteer, and world traveler. I call these lessons, “The 6 Principles,” and I’m sharing them with you today to hopefully help you come to the same realizations and revelations I did (but a lot sooner).
1. Lifelong learningFor years, I read